After three years of intensive training, a King’s Fork High School biology teacher has started leading professional development events for other biology teachers.

Sherri Story, who teaches Advanced Placement and honors biology, was one of five National Association of Biology Teachers AP teacher-leaders during an academy last week.

Held at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach July 12-17, the 35-hour professional development program was for East Coast biology teachers.

Around the country, programs also have been held at Stanford University, Michigan State University and the Colorado Springs home of Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, an academy partner. Stanford will host the final program for the year next month.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute supports the academy, while the Virginia Department of Education paid for 25 Virginia teachers to attend the East Coast event, Story said, though none were from Suffolk.

Also at the East Coast event, Story added, was one teacher each from Illinois, New Jersey and Maryland.

The academy focuses on increasing rigor in high school biology and AP classes by engaging students in scientific inquiry.

“The idea is to transform how biology is taught in the classroom to be more inquiry-based,” Story explained.

Teaching concepts are stressed over teaching facts, she said, and students are encouraged to be self-directed learners.

“The teacher is more of a facilitator of the learning process,” according to Story, who added that teachers are encouraged to incorporate into lessons a more formative assessment — monitoring progress and providing ongoing feedback.

Story is one of 40 teachers around the country selected by the association to be trained to deliver the professional development program.

“We met as a team to plan out the week, and we each had a role to play,” Story said of how the academy worked.

In a news release, event coordinator Hilve Firek, Batten associate professor of education at Virginia Wesleyan College, said working in partnership with the other groups was exciting.

“We are pleased to provide outstanding professional development to biology teachers from around the state and the region,” she said.

Professor Vic Townsend said it was a good opportunity to showcase facilities at the college.

“A lot of people don’t think about the sciences being a part of the liberal arts — we have a very active, vibrant science department,” Townsend said.

Story said she would be leading more professional development events in different regions.